Thursday, 20 October 2016

Telcon helps out Jodrell Bank

In the extract from a 1957 Telcon Magazine below the cable company works with the Jodrell Bank observatory - although everyone knows now that the underwater cables round the world get our international messages into our computers and phones much faster than any satellite can. The picture is that which was with the original article

The radio telescope at Jodrell Bank seen from the control room

Some of our readers mav have heard or read a short announcement on October 9 that the new astronomical telescope nearing completion at Jodrell Bank was being erected against time in order to study the movements of the Russian satellite, which at that time was feared might be falling rapidly to earth. The announcement said, amongst other things, that the telescope could not operate until some cable was obtained.

Meanwhile, a little drama was being played at Telcon, Greenwich, where, just as the hooter was blowing for lunch an urgent message was received asking us to supply some of our high frequency cable. By 2 o'clock, three drums of cable weighing nearly half a ton had been extracted from our drum field and battened up ready for dispatch,only awaiting instructions as to precisely where they should be sent. During the course of the afternoon the Observatory asked us to route the cable to Crewe instead of Manchester, and later on during the same evening we bad a telephone call to say that our cable was safely on site!

Pretty good work!

It is gratifying to record that a message of congratulation was sent to us from the Observatory authorities thanking us for our prompt service.